Into The Night
by HollyFire
Summary: The Tardis, taken over by some unknown force, lands the Doctor and Sarah on a desolate planet, of which the Doctor has no knowledge of. Does the lack of coordinates have to do with the damage done to the Tardis or is it due to this unknown force?
1. Chapter 1

_**All the usual disclaimers apply. Hope you all enjoy :)  
**_

"Hold on, Sarah!", the Doctor yelled over the noise as he pulled her over to stand between him and the Tardis console. He was frantically working the controls, attempting to stop the horrific sounds of the cloister bell, mixed with other system alarms going off simultaneously, along with the constant motion of the Tardis being rocked back and forth roughly as if she were a sailing vessel caught in a hurricane. Sarah held on to the console for dear life, making sure to keep her hands away from the controls the Doctor's hands were frantically working on. The constant back and forth of the Old Girl was really starting to cause Sarah to feel motion sickness and she found herself leaning back against the Doctor as an even stronger rocking sensation jolted the Tardis. She felt as if she was on an incredibly fast version of an amusement park ride called The Scrambler, which she used to love, but felt she'd never want to ride again after all this. She was relieved when the Doctor had reached out for her and placed her between him and the console. It gave her a small measure of security, although she knew she wasn't safe by any means. The Old Girl was a tough ship/sentient being, but even she couldn't constantly withstand whatever this was that was attempting to tear her apart.

Over the cacophony of alarms, Sarah could have sworn she heard the Doctor saying something, but she couldn't make out the words. As the intense rocking movement of the Tardis began to subside and as the alarms began to stop one by one, she was able to hear the Doctor more clearly. The cloister bell rang again, though, and the Doctor was concentrating intently on working the controls. What she heard him say, she still couldn't make out any of the words. They sounded eloquent and unlike any language she had ever heard before. As the cloister bell chimed a final ominous toll, Sarah realized something she should have known right off the bat. He's speaking Gallifreyan. The Tardis should be translating his words into English. Why isn't she doing that anymore, she wondered to herself in concern. The Doctor said another few words, this time with insistence, while touching her shoulder gently. She turned around to look up at his face, and asked, "Doctor, why isn't the Tardis translating your words for me?"

His look was one of surprise and concern. "I don't know, Sarah."

Sarah looked relieved as she said, "Now I can understand you."

As the rocking movement finally came to an end, the Doctor moved to the other side of the console, bent down, opened up one of the panels, and checked the circuitry. "That's because I'm now speaking to you in English. Whatever it was that the Old Girl went through has singed her translation circuits. I can repair them, of course, but it'll take time. With the multitude of other systems that need to be repaired, I fear that we'll have to dematerialize somewhere nearby and quickly. She won't be safe to travel in for a while".

He stood up and walked back around the console next to Sarah. Before he could even begin to search for a nearby planet, the dematerialization sequence began on its own. As the Doctor tried to determine how that happened, he switched on the view screen, a look of intense worry and fear in his eyes. The planet the Tardis had chosen to land on did not look inviting in the least. The landscape reminded Sarah of a desert wasteland on Earth, except the sand was a dark purple. There looked to be no vegetation at all and the night sky was beginning to get overcast, the ominous looking storm clouds slowly blocking out the stars.

Sarah looked from the view screen to him, noticed his expression, and asked in a slightly nervous voice, "Doctor, where has the Tardis brought us to?"

"It wasn't the Tardis that brought us here. Something set the dematerialization sequence. Sarah, the Tardis isn't showing any coordinates for this location. I have no idea where we've landed! How can this location not have coordinates? Every location in the universe has coordinates," the Doctor exclaimed, his anger more evident now than his fear.

Sarah laid a comforting hand on his forearm. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, attempting to calm down and think logically through this problem. He noticed her hand on his forearm and gazed into her eyes. Even though he could see worry and fear there, he saw courage and strength as well. She looked at him as if she had no doubt that he would find a way to repair the Tardis and get them off this planet. Her confidence in him still amazed him, even after all they had been through on their adventures. He gently lifted her hand from his forearm and, without breaking eye contact, lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "Thank you for your confidence in me, Sarah," he stated quietly with a small smile on his face.

All she could do was smile as she tried to fight the blush rising in her cheeks at such an intimate touch. In all their travels, he had never kissed her hand before. I wonder what it would be like to be properly kissed by him, she briefly thought to herself before quickly pushing that thought aside. Now was not the time to be thinking of such things. The Doctor had to get the Tardis repaired quickly and, by the Doctor's reaction to this planet, they had to leave as soon as possible.

He was still holding her hand and now had a more serious expression on his face as he stated, "It will take me at least a week to repair the damage done to the Old Girl. In that time, you are not to wander off outside. I'm hoping that the lack of coordinates has to do with the amount of damage inflicted. I should have a better idea of where we are once I've made the necessary repairs," he tried to sound optimistic about that, but he couldn't help the incessant fear and worry plaguing him about this planet. There was something very wrong about it, as if it shouldn't exist. His time sense was at a complete loss here, which left him feeling extremely vulnerable.

"Don't worry, Doctor. There's no way I'm going out there," she stated adamantly.

It was at that precise moment that the lights went out, the emergency lighting flickering feebly, along with the console and time rotor lights.


	2. Chapter 2

_**This is just a fun little chapter I had to include before the real action of the story begins. Enjoy :)**_

After about ten hours of helping the Doctor repair the Tardis, either by holding a flashlight over a particular set of wiring or by handing him certain tools he'd request, Sarah needed more rest than the few short breaks she'd taken throughout the night. At least she assumed it was still night. The view screen showed nothing but complete darkness over the landscape, the storm clouds long since blocking out the starlight. She had been infinitely glad they had found enough flashlights, batteries, and candles when the main lighting had shut off. She didn't trust the emergency lighting to hold out much longer. Even though the Tardis console and time rotor lights had been fully restored, the Doctor said there was still much to be done. She was also relieved that the Doctor could speak English. Throughout these past hours, one of the thoughts she had was how they would have communicated without the translation circuits working and if he hadn't known English. She had heard him muttering words in Gallifreyan throughout the evening, most likely swear words, especially when he was fully concentrating on repairing something that was giving even him a difficult time.

Despite how much she liked helping him, she had to give in to her body's demand for rest. Getting up from where she had been sitting on the floor, she stated, "I'm gonna get some sleep, Doctor. See you in the morning."

"Pleasant dreams, Sarah," the Doctor replied distractedly, with his head and arms still inside the base of the console.

As she walked into her room with a flashlight, just in case the emergency lights went out, she debated whether she should take a warm bath or head straight to bed. Noticing the scented candles, she still hadn't used yet, sitting on top of her dresser, she decided to light them and enjoy their fragrances while taking a bath. Thank goodness the Tardis can still provide us with warm water, she thought to herself in relief as she took her pajamas and candles into the bathroom, and prepared her bath. She lit the candles, enjoying the fragrances of lavender and vanilla. She took off her clothes, jumped into the tub and sighed in contentment while shutting her eyes and leaning her head against the small pillow against the back of the tub.

About five minutes after Sarah had left the console room, the Doctor got up from the base of the console, and ran another systems check on the console. Satisfied with the progress he had made so far, he decided a cup of tea was in order. Before leaving the console room, he turned off the view screen. It was disconcerting to see nothing but total blackness out there. Still so much left to do, such as mending the translation circuits and getting to the root of the problem of the lack of coordinates, he thought to himself as he made his way into the kitchen.

He briefly wondered where Sarah was, before recalling that she had mentioned something about getting some rest. After preparing some tea and taking a few sips of it, he wondered if she was asleep yet. Thinking that she might like some tea, he poured a second cup and walked to her room. Once there, he knocked before entering her room. Noticing she wasn't in her bed, he looked toward her bathroom. He could smell lavender and vanilla emanating from it. He sat down the tea cup on her nightstand and knocked on her bathroom door, which was slightly ajar. He could see candlelight emanating from the room. After a couple seconds with no answer, he knocked a bit louder and called out, "Sarah?" After a few more seconds with no answer, he decided to hell with propriety and stepped inside.

He could have sworn one of his hearts stopped beating at the sight that greeted his eyes and one thought kept going through his mind: Sarah, my best friend, asleep in the tub, in the nude. I've never seen her like this before. Dear Rassilon, she's beautiful! This thought was quickly replaced by concern for her, as he wondered why she didn't wake to his knocking and calling out her name. He bent down beside the tub and the gentle rise and fall of her chest eased his concern. He had to stop himself from continuing to gaze at her body. Get a grip on yourself, Doctor, you're not some hormonal school boy. You've seen plenty of naked human bodies before and Sarah would not appreciate you ogling her, he strictly told himself as he stood up. When have I seen a naked human body before, he asked himself. Never mind that now, he told himself. Well, she can't stay asleep in the tub. I'll have to wake her. Grabbing her towel from the back of the door, he made it back over to the side of the tub and bent down. He gently touched her cheek, and, so as not to startle her awake, decided to send a telepathic message to her. "Wake up, Sarah," he softly projected into her mind.

Immediately thereafter, her eyelids began to flutter and she slowly opened her eyes to be greeted with him smiling at her. She smiled back and within a second recalled that she was still in the tub with her whole body visible to him. If it had been any other man, she would have immediately become tense, would have covered her breasts with her arms, and would have angrily demanded why he was in her bathroom. Since it was the Doctor, she did none of that. This is the first time he's seen me in the nude, she thought to herself. Well, he's not leaving and he doesn't seem embarrassed to see me this way, she thought to herself in relief and amazement. She asked the first question that came to her mind, "Doctor, why are you in here?"

She isn't angry that I've seen her like this, that I'm still looking at her like this, he thought in relief and amazement. He also noticed, out of the corner of his eyes, that she still hadn't covered herself up. "I had knocked on your door and called out to you, but when I received no response, I had to check to make sure you were alright," he explained rationally, pleased that his voice sounded calm and nothing like some nervous and guilty kid caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

"Thank you, Doctor, for taking time out from your repairs to check on me," she replied graciously as a slight blush crept up her cheeks.

"It was no trouble at all. It was a pleasure seeing you…that is, seeing that you're alright," the Doctor stated rather clumsily as he stood up and opened up the large towel in front of her. Not as calm and collected as I was led to believe, she thought to herself with a slight grin as she stood up, took the towel from him, and wrapped it around herself.

Willing himself to maintain eye contact with her and to calm his heartsbeat, which had increased slightly due to his rather embarrassing and fumbling statement, he said, "I made some tea for you earlier. It's on your nightstand. I'll be in the console room, if you should need me." Even to his own ears, his voice sounded deeper as he had said the last part of that sentence. Not trusting his own voice at the moment, he turned around and exited her bathroom and bedroom. As he made his way back to the console room, he couldn't help the stray thought entering his mind, for just a moment, wishing he could be the dark brown towel wrapped snugly around her body.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Sorry it took so long to update this story. Hope this chapter is worth the wait! Enjoy :)_**

Thoughts swirled inside Sarah's mind as she tried to fall asleep. She couldn't deny how the thought of the Doctor seeing her in the tub made her feel. Although she loved her close friendship with him, she had begun to recently yearn for something more. During the time she had been traveling with him, she hadn't been sure if he even could feel more than friendship for her. What happened earlier this evening showed that she had been mistaken. She had never felt happier about being proven wrong. This new, unnamed layer to their friendship was a welcome distraction from their current predicament, being stuck on this desolate planet. She wondered if the Doctor's earlier assessment about the repairs taking a week was actually true, or if he'd be able to complete the repairs much sooner than that. She hoped the latter was the case.

Even though she knew she was safe here in the Tardis with the Doctor, she still couldn't help the edginess that she began to feel. She couldn't help thinking that it felt like the calm before the storm. Of course, she recalled the view screen earlier showing what looked to be storm clouds beginning to block out the stars. Out of nowhere, a thought struck her and she wondered why she hadn't pondered it till just this moment. When they had first arrived on the planet, the Doctor could have gone outside and looked up at the stars to figure out which galaxy they had landed in. Why didn't he think of that? Knowing that sleep wouldn't come to her until she found out the answer, she got up from her bed and made her way to the console room, where she knew the Doctor would still be.

As she opened the door to the console room, she was surprised to see that he wasn't there. Noticing the view screen had been turned off, she went over to one of the controls to turn it back on. Surprisingly, there wasn't a cloud in the night sky. The dark purple sand seemed to glow with the brightness of the multitude of stars. Out of nowhere, she felt the urge to go out and just gaze up at the sky. Then she recalled the Doctor's warning about not going outside. She felt, while looking at the view screen, that he was being overly cautious. Besides, he hadn't said the air or anything else out there would be toxic to humans. For a moment, a small voice of logic in the back of her mind told her she should not go outside, that the Doctor must have had a good reason for warning her against doing so. That small voice, however, was extinguished by the sudden, overwhelming desire to walk outside. She began to feel a bit warm and the room seemed too claustrophobic. She had to walk outside, if only for a few moments.

Making her decision, she pulled the lever on the console to open the outer doors. Standing on the threshold, she breathed in the cool night air, enjoying how the slight breeze blew her hair away from her face. With a peaceful smile, as she gazed up at the stars, she walked away from the safety of the Tardis. She felt like she was still half asleep and her eyes held a glazed look. She didn't know where she was headed, just that it was important that she continue to walk away from the Tardis. The wind began to pick up, blowing away all traces of her footsteps, making it impossible for the Doctor to follow her.

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The Doctor hadn't returned to the console room after leaving Sarah's bathroom. He had gone to the library, sat down on the sofa facing the fireplace, and used the sonic screwdriver to start a fire. While watching the flames, he took the time to sort out this new layer to his and Sarah's friendship. Funny how something so simple as seeing her in the bathtub could provoke such a reaction within him. He had never cared so deeply for any of his previous companions as he had for Sarah. She was brave, even when she was scared. She was fiercely loyal to him and trusted him with her life. She held so much compassion for people in need and people seemed to sense they could trust her. He needed her around to remind him of that compassion, for at times, he would get so wrapped up in the greater scheme of things, especially when time was being tampered with in such a way as to cause incalculable catastrophe. He shuddered as he thought of what had happened regarding Sutekh. Strange, I haven't thought of that Osirian in quite some time, he pondered to himself. Of course, this desolate planet we're on, with no noticeable vegetation or wildlife, looks like a place Sutekh could have destroyed. These thoughts made him feel on edge, as if it was the calm before the storm. Frustrated at feeling this way, he stood up and headed back to the console room.

As soon as he entered it, his hearts started beating faster. "Oh Sarah," he said in shock as he saw the outer door moving slightly back and forth in the strong wind coming from outside. What in the name of Rassilon could have compelled her to go out there in spite of my warning, he thought as shock gave way to fear and anger. He saw the view screen on, but there was no sign of her on the screen. He rushed to the door, looking out into the desolate landscape and yelled out, "Sarah!", but it got drowned out by the ever increasing wind. With the sonic screwdriver in hand and programmed to search for her bio signal, he closed the door, and ran out in search of her.

Rassilon help me if anything's happened to her, he thought to himself in fear as he scanned continually in every direction, while walking his long strides, without so much as a blip sounding from the sonic screwdriver. Where could she be? He was now a mile away from the Tardis. It had only been about an hour since I had left her room. She couldn't have made it that far, he reasoned with himself.

All of a sudden, the wind died down and the entire landscape changed. He was now in a lush forest, the sun was shining brightly, and he could hear some type of birds singing. What in the hell, he thought in bewilderment. Looking all around him at the dense forest, he realized he could no longer see the Tardis. I really must find the time to work on creating a Statenheim remote for the Old Girl, he thought with a resigned sigh. After walking a bit further, he could hear the sound of a waterfall nearby. As he came to a clearing, he saw a lagoon with a small waterfall. Lying in the middle of the lagoon, face up and unconscious, was Sarah.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. Real life got in the way again. Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait :)**_

Without a second thought, the Doctor took off his shoes, socks, and coat and swam into the lagoon, making his way toward Sarah. As he approached her, with her eyes closed while continuing to float on the water, he noticed the slight rise and fall of her chest and deep breathing. Sighing in relief, he put his arms under her body and telepathically projected to her in a gentle voice, 'Sarah, I've got you. Open your eyes.' A moment later, she slowly opened her eyes and smiled sleepily at the Doctor.

"Hi, Doctor. What are you doing here," she asked in a slurred voice, her eyes barely able to stay open. What little he did see of her eyes deeply troubled him. She's been drugged, but how and by whom, he asked himself. "Sarah, I'm going to help you float toward the edge of the lagoon. Then we're getting out of the water and heading back toward the Tardis." She smiled trustingly at him, her eyes gazing at him with a glazed look. Well at least she still recognizes me, he thought in relief as he began to guide her toward the edge of the lagoon.

Once out of the water, she leaned heavily on him and only was able to walk a few feet before beginning to collapse to the ground. He caught her before she fell and eased her gently to the ground. He quickly put back on his shoes, socks, and coat before lifting her in his arms to begin the trek back to the Tardis. She nuzzled close to his chest and fell asleep again. Although he enjoyed the feel of her in his arms, he realized they were in greater danger than he had initially realized. The damage done to the Tardis, his inability to figure out which planet they had landed on, his loss of time sense here, the abrupt change in the environment earlier, whatever mind control that had caused Sarah to leave the Tardis, the drug induced state Sarah was in, all led to one distinct possibility. Something or some persons had taken over his Tardis and made it land in a false environment, a sort of holographic simulation room, in order to observe his and Sarah's behavior to stimuli. It was the only logical explanation he could come up with for the series of events that had occurred.

What was even more troubling was that this being or beings had somehow been able to exert some type of mind control and/or drug into Sarah from the confines of the Tardis. How in the hell did they exert control over her from inside the Tardis, he thought angrily to himself as he walked back the way he had come. Nothing can breach the Old Girl's walls. The only time anything had been able to project inside his Tardis was the time when Sarah had described seeing a type of malevolent face appearing in the console room. Shortly thereafter was when they had dealt with Sutekh. A slight shiver ran down his back as he thought of that ordeal. Get a grip, Doctor, he admonished himself. I destroyed Sutekh. Besides, this type of thing wouldn't be his style. He then recalled the moment he had come face to face with Sutekh and how Sutekh had gloated that he was the 'play thing of Sutekh' and how Sutekh could keep him alive for centuries while making him suffer each agonizing second. Just thinking of that evil abomination fueled the Doctor's current anger over the situation he and Sarah were in.

He stopped for a moment to get his bearings. All of the trees looked the same. He wasn't sure if he was traveling in the right direction. I could be going around in circles for all I know, he thought to himself in irritation. He lay Sarah down gently on the ground, took out the sonic screwdriver from his coat pocket, and activated a few of the buttons in the hope of honing in on the location of his ship. "Where are you, Old Girl," he asked out loud in a worried voice.

"Doctor", Sarah called out to him, from where she was lying on the ground, in a voice filled with confusion and concern. "Where are we and why in the hell am I lying on the ground, soaking wet, in my pajamas?" She sat up and took in her surroundings. "Hey, I thought this planet was a desert wasteland."

Sighing in relief that she sounded more like herself, the Doctor turned around toward her, knelt beside her, and informed her of the events leading up to this point. He decided to delay in informing her about his theory as to where they could be. He didn't want to frighten her with too many strange things all at one time. He wanted to wait until they were in the safety of the Tardis before telling her that they were most likely being observed. Besides, he couldn't be completely sure that his theory was correct. In conclusion, he stated, "I was hoping you could fill me in on why you had initially left the Tardis in the first place."

As she had been listening, he could tell that she had no memory of walking outside the Tardis, but hoped she would remember what had led her to wake up and walk to the console room. "It's strange, but I don't really remember why I had woken up. I feel that it might have been because I was worried about something and went looking for you. As for why I decided to go out for a stroll, I have no earthly idea. The whole environment changed just like that in front of your eyes and I was actually floating on the water asleep?!" She couldn't believe the events that had occurred. She had seen and been through some strange things while traveling with the Doctor, but this was beyond weird even for them.

"Yes," the Doctor drawled, deep in thought, as he looked into the distance briefly. He was about to turn his attention back to Sarah, and tell her they should continue walking, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

Noticing how his body tensed immediately as he gazed into the distance, she asked in a whisper, "What is it, Doctor?"

"I don't know, Sarah. I could have sworn I saw something," he whispered back to her in her ear. "Let's continue to walk slowly in another direction." All of his superior senses were on heightened alert. What he thought he saw he couldn't have seen, or could he? No, it couldn't have been. I had been thinking of it earlier and therefore thought a shadow looked like something it couldn't have been. With himself almost convinced, he took Sarah's hand in his own and they walked in the direction he hoped the Tardis was in. He refused to think more on what the shadow in the trees resembled, but he wasn't quite successful in that plan of action. For the shadow he saw, within the multitude of dark tree trunks, had, for an instant, taken on an eerily familiar visage, that of Sutekh.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry for the delay. Here's a short chapter to tide you all over. I hope to post the next chapter sometime this week. Enjoy :)**_

As the Doctor and Sarah continued to walk in the direction they hoped the Tardis was in, Sarah couldn't help the strange feeling that they were being watched. The sunlight, that had been visible through the tops of the trees earlier, now was fading with sunset hues. The temperature had also begun to drop slightly as she shivered in her pajamas, which were still quite damp and were clinging to her most uncomfortably. Noticing her shiver, the Doctor stated, as he began to take off his coat and scarf, "You should get out of those pajamas, Sarah."

At that pronouncement, she did a double take at him, her mouth slightly agape in shock and also wondering why he was taking off his coat and scarf. A second later, logic kicked in and she realized he hadn't meant it as a come on. Of course he hadn't, she thought to herself as she couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. "Sorry, Doctor, for a second there, I thought...well, that you were making a pass at me," she laughed nervously while curious to see what he would say to that.

He, at first, looked slightly confused, and then realized what he had said. "Believe me, Sarah, if I was making a pass at you, you would know," he stated quietly, his voice deeper than usual, while gazing into her eyes, his eyes conveying what he was not able to put into words at the moment.

Does he even realize what his voice does to me, she wondered to herself in awe as she felt herself getting lost in his striking blue eyes. Before she knew it, though, he broke eye contact and the moment had passed. "Now then, your pajamas," he said as he held out his coat and scarf for her. She was about to unbutton the top button of her pajama top, when he asked in confusion, "Aren't you going to wait until I turn around?"

"It's a bit too late for that, don't you think," she replied in a calm voice that belied her anticipation at how he would react again to seeing her entire body. Of course, she'd still keep her panties on, so she wouldn't be entirely nude. Close enough to it again, she thought in anticipation. In the back of her mind, a small voice was wondering why she had become so bold all of a sudden. She pushed that thought away, thinking it was due to how much she trusted him and how close she already felt towards him.

I should turn around, he kept saying to himself, though he couldn't help but watch her undress. As she casually undid the buttons of her pajama top and took it off to reveal her breasts, he had to make himself continue to look only at her face. When she bent over to take off her pajama pants, revealing her white panties, which did little to hide what was under them, it was all he could do not to walk up to her, hold her close to him, and kiss her passionately. As it was, when she looked again at his face, he smiled gently at her and said, before he could think twice, "You're beautiful, Sarah."

She smiled lovingly at him as he held out his coat and scarf to her. "Thank you, Doctor," she replied demurely as she looped the scarf multiple times around her neck and then shrugged on his burgundy coat. He couldn't help but watch as his scarf had touched her breasts and wished, for a moment, that he was that scarf. As it was, he tucked that thought to the back of his mind and held out his hand to her. Smiling, she took it and they continued on their way. In the back of each of their minds, they wondered at how quickly this new found level, of their relationship, had taken place. That thought, though, vanished from their minds before they could fully analyze it. For if they had been able to analyze their actions, they would have realized that something was causing them to act differently.

Little did they know that a substance had been placed in the false environment, causing them to lose some of their inhibitions towards each other. A stronger substance, though, had just been introduced into the environment. The substance that was currently in the environment had been monitored and the researchers were disappointed that their subjects hadn't succumbed more to its effects. This stronger substance, they hoped, would yield far greater results.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sorry for the delay. Here's a short, but important, chapter to tide you all over. Enjoy :)**_

Another half hour passed, and the stars became visible in the sky. Sarah was getting as worried as the Doctor at not being able to locate the Tardis. Repeatedly, throughout their trek, he had checked his sonic screwdriver's readings, and each time had been sure they were on the right path. As the time passed, he realized that it felt as if they were going around in circles. Now that it was after dusk, he used the screwdriver as a flashlight to light their way as they continued in the seemingly endless forest. The air, thankfully, had not gotten any colder. In fact, Sarah started to become quite warm wearing his coat and scarf. The Doctor, she noticed, also looked a bit warm, as he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his white shirt. She found herself gazing at him as they walked hand in hand. He, at times, would look down at her and smile reassuringly, yet the smile didn't fully reach his eyes. She also couldn't help the erotic thoughts about him that would surface in her mind.

What she wasn't aware of was that he was having very similar thoughts about her as well. It took a great deal of willpower for him not to succumb to the urge to stop walking and to make love to her right there on the forest floor. Although he had a feeling that she felt the same way as him, he knew that now was not the time to act on their feelings. He wanted their first time together to be special, not something hastily done, especially in this false environment they were in. He would not make love to her with something or someone watching them.

All of a sudden, everything around them blurred and changed. They found themselves now in a gently sloping valley, with a small pond sparkling with the light from the full moon and multitude of stars. "What the hell,", exclaimed Sarah, as she stared, completely bewildered, at their abrupt change in environment. She looked up at the Doctor, whose expression was one of intense annoyance, his patience long since running out. "Doctor, what kind of planet is this," she asked, worry and fear coloring her voice.

"I had hoped to tell you once we got back to the safety of the Tardis, but it appears that something or someone has other plans for us," he stated in a voice filled with extreme irritation as he urged her to sit down on the grass. As he sat down next to her, he began, "Sarah, do you trust me?"

"Completely, Doctor," she replied as she gazed into his eyes. She felt his fingers on both sides of her head and knew that he was planning on speaking to her telepathically. In the past, she would have been highly uncomfortable with him in her head, but in the past few years, her trust in him had increased exponentially. She knew that he must have a good reason for this type of communication.

"Sarah", he telepathically projected to her, "I believe the Tardis was transported, against her will, to this false environment we currently find ourselves in. It explains the lack of coordinates and why my time sense is completely useless here. We're in a type of large room that has holographic simulation technology that something or someone is utilizing in order to observe our behavior to certain stimuli."

He heard all of her thoughts rushing through her head as she fully realized the implications of what he was saying, "Doctor, we have to get out of here," she exclaimed telepathically back to him as she tightly wrapped her arms protectively around herself, while looking around in all directions with eyes filled with fear at what they would do to her or the Doctor next.

He held her in his arms in a protective embrace, while running his hand soothingly down her hair as he telepathically replied, in a voice filled with determination, "We'll get out of here, Sarah. I won't let them harm you."

In their telepathic link, she felt his love and protectiveness for her and it washed through her soul like a soothing balm. He, in turn, felt her love for him, which warmed and soothed his hearts immeasurably. He felt selfish for thinking this, but he was relieved that she was here with him, to prevent him from going as mad as a lab rat trapped in a labyrinth.

"I don't know what I would do without you here, Sarah," he stated out loud to her as he withdrew from her mind and from her embrace to gaze into her eyes while gently holding her hands.

"The same goes for me, Doctor," she replied out loud as she gazed lovingly into his eyes, renewed with the knowledge of his feelings for her and filled with determination to get through their ordeal.

As they both began to stand up, Sarah's entire body became enveloped in a blue light. All she managed to yell out was "Doctor?!" as she was transported away. The Doctor stood there in shock, looking at where she had just been standing a second ago, his hand now holding nothing but air.


	7. Chapter 7

_**I apologize for taking so long to write and post this chapter. Real life and family drama, unfortunately, got in the way. Here's a short chapter which I hope will have been worth the wait :)**_

As Sarah felt herself being transported, all sorts of horrifying thoughts filled her mind as to what their captors would do to her without the Doctor around to protect her. As she fully materialized, she was filled with shock and immense relief when she found herself back in the Tardis console room. I wonder why whoever is keeping us here decided to send me back to the Tardis, she thought to herself. She then recalled that the Doctor would be able to find the Tardis now. All he would need to do would be to reset the sonic screwdriver to search for her bio signal. That is, if he'd even think to search for me. For all he knows, I got transported outside the holographic simulation room.

Before she could think of what her plan of action would be, the Doctor was transported back to the console room as well. As soon as he fully materialized, she noticed his look of despair and anger instantly replaced with happiness and utter relief as his eyes locked with hers. "Sarah," he said lovingly as he quickly walked up to her and enveloped her in a tight hug. After a few seconds, he broke apart from their embrace, yet still held both of her hands as he asked, "Are you alright? Did they transport you straight here?"

"Yeah, they did, whoever 'they' are. Why do you think they sent us both back here?"

"I don't know, Sarah. But I do know one thing. I'm going to finish repairing the Old Girl as quickly as possible and we are getting away from this place once and for all. At this point, all of the questions we have about our captors can wait till we're safely away from this holographic room full of tricks," he stated as he went to the controls and began running another diagnostic, to see if their captors had tried to mess with the Old Girl while he and Sarah had been away. While he was doing that, Sarah went back to her bedroom to change into some dry, comfortable clothes.

When she returned to the console room, she was surprised to find the time rotor moving, the sound of dematerialization, and the Doctor grinning widely while watching the time rotor. "I don't know how, but she's fully operational. I've just set the coordinates for us to drift in the vortex. So far, everything seems to be working correctly," he stated with complete satisfaction. After a few seconds, he turned on the view screen and both of them released the breath they each had been holding as they gazed at the beautiful image of the colors of the time vortex.

She hung up his coat on the coat rack and handed his scarf back to him, which he placed around his neck with relish. Now that their ordeal was over, she felt a bit nervous around him as she thought about how she had acted around him and how much further she had pushed the boundaries of their friendship. Of course, he had also acted differently while they had been in that holographic simulation room. I wonder if I should bring it up now or wait to see what he'll say about it, she thought to herself as she walked back around to the chair next to the console. After she had handed his scarf back and once he had put it back on, he had stared down at the console, busily running more systems checks. From his expression, he seemed perfectly calm, as if what all had happened had just been the run of the mill stuff they usually dealt with. Or, could he be hiding his true feelings and just waiting for me to speak first, she thought as she gazed at him.

With as much of a calm voice as she could muster, what with how nervous she felt, she stated, "We need to talk about what happened between us?"

His hands stilled on the controls. He then looked up at her and replied, his eyes filled with love, "Yes, we do." He walked around to stand a few feet in front of her chair, held out his hand to her, and asked in a voice deeper than usual, "Come with me." She took his hand, stood up and let herself be guided out of the console room and into the hallway. She noticed he was leading her toward her room.

As they walked into her room, she just happened to glance at her night stand on the left side of her bed, which was situated on the opposite side from her closet, dresser, and bathroom. What she saw on her night stand made her freeze in fear, her heart hammering in her chest. For she saw the lavender and vanilla candles, that she had used before their trouble in the holographic simulation room, were now unused and still in their packaging.


	8. Chapter 8

_**My writers block has finally ended! Hope you all enjoy this chapter :)  
**_

Before Sarah could ask the Doctor what the hell was going on, her vision went blurry and she slipped into unconsciousness. In what seemed like no time at all, she woke up to find herself lying on a diagnostic bed in some type of medical laboratory. Over her head was some type of machine that was making a beeping sound. A moment later, an alien that looked like some type of human sized grasshopper came up to her bed and was looking at the readings on the machine. He or she then peered down at her and asked, "Why were you so afraid in the dreamscape? Is that not the situation you wanted?"

Sarah couldn't tell from the voice if it was male or female, but it sounded merely curious and not angry. Feeling a bit relieved at that, she answered as calmly as possible, "In the 'dreamscape', the candles on my night stand were unused. In reality, I had already used them. That's how I knew everything was fake. Now, who are you and where's the Doctor?"

* * *

Dear Rassilon, they've taken Sarah away from me, the Doctor thought to himself in shock and anger as he stared at the space she had just occupied. He looked all around him in the holographic simulation room, his eyes filled with the oncoming storm. Deciding he had nothing to lose for trying the direct approach, he yelled out, "I am the Doctor, a Timelord from the planet Gallifrey. I demand that you release me and return my companion to me at once!" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some type of metallic looking archway appear, accompanied by a door. An instant later, a human sized grasshopper walked through the doorway. Oh no, a Zohnus, the Doctor thought to himself with deep concern. The Zohnus were known to pluck unknowing species from their environments and bring them to their labs for observation. I think I'll go with my usual approach for this one Zohnus. He appears to be a reasonable sort, the Doctor thought as he smiled broadly at the approaching alien and stated, "Hello there! I'm terribly sorry for my anger, but I was quite distressed at the fact that my companion disappeared right in front of me. Could you tell me where she is and why you have kept us in this amazingly realistic holographic simulation room?"

The Zohnus replied in a lilting, high pitched conversational voice, "On behalf of my fellow researchers, I apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you and your companion. You are on one of our exploration vessels. We detected your ship on our sensors. Since your shields were up, we could not detect who was aboard your ship. We used our tractor beam to bring your ship inside our vessel and then it was transported to one of our holographic simulation rooms. Once you had opened the device on your ship that enabled you to look outside, we noticed the shielding around that area of your ship was lower than the other areas. Upon detecting a male, yourself, and a female onboard, we were curious to see how both of you would react to certain stimuli and how you would react with each other when certain chemicals were released into the environment. I must say, those were some of the strongest chemicals we had for inducing species to mate. The two of you must have amazing willpower not to succumb to the mating urge."

Throughout the Zohnus explanation, the Doctor's gut reaction was anger and annoyance at all the Zohnus had put him and Sarah through. Upon hearing about the chemicals in the air, he felt relief that the chemicals weren't life threatening, yet he felt both annoyed and regretful at the same time. He felt annoyed that the Zohnus would find it interesting to play with the emotions of their 'test subjects' in such an intimate way. He felt regretful that it appeared the new level to his and Sarah's relationship was manufactured.

Realizing the Zohnus was staring at him, waiting for a response, he replied, "I understand that your people are researchers by nature and that you don't physically harm your test subjects. Nevertheless, your kind cannot go about grabbing people at random against their will. True research must be conducted ethically. You must promise me that you will stop this method of research immediately," the Doctor stated in a voice that would brook no argument. The Zohnus looked into the Doctor's eyes and knew that he and his comrades would have to put a stop to their research. He didn't want to think of what this Timelord would do if they didn't obey his command.

The Doctor was pleased that his message got through to the Zohnus loud and clear. "Now then, I believe you have my companion. I'd like her brought back to me immediately. Also, please turn off this holographic simulation so I can find my Tardis. Due to you lot, I still have quite a few repairs to make to her before I can leave your ship."

The Zohnus replied sincerely, "I apologize for the damage that was accidentally done to your ship. Our tractor beam still needs some tweaking so it can work smoothly. If you require any parts, I will be happy to offer assistance." The Zohnus then went over to the metallic archway, pressed a button, and an instant later, Sarah was transported right next to where the Doctor was standing.

Lying on the ground, she looked up at him smiling at her, sat up, and said in a confused voice, "Doctor, what's going on here? This human sized grasshopper alien was just about to answer my questions when I was brought back here."

The Doctor knelt down beside her and replied, "It's alright now, Sarah. The Zohnus are researchers who just happened to pick up the Tardis and bring it aboard their ship." Almost on cue, the landscape disappeared to be replaced by the original landscape of the purple sand and star filled night sky. The Tardis appeared nearby. Helping Sarah up, the Doctor walked over to the Tardis, patted one of the doors with one hand, grabbed the key from one of his pockets with his other hand, and said, "It's good to see you again, Old Girl." He unlocked the doors and guided Sarah inside. Before closing the doors, the Doctor said to the Zohnus, "Thank you for your help. By the way, what's your name?"

The Zohnus responded with an untranslatable high pitched chirp. "Ah, you're one of the elders of your species. Well, you should have no trouble convincing them to change their method of obtaining test subjects. If you do happen to need help in that area, let me know. The Tardis won't be able to leave for at least a few more days." The Zohnus nodded his head in agreement and left through the archway doors.

The Doctor quickly shut the Tardis doors and turned off the display screen. Sarah was standing next to the console. When he had first come in, she had a look of relief on her face. Upon seeing his serious expression and his quick movement to turn off the display screen, her instincts told her they weren't out of the woods yet. The Doctor knelt down at the base of the console and immediately got to work on making the shield strength stronger for the entirety of the Tardis and especially with regards to the area around the view screen.

After a few minutes of silence, Sarah cleared her throat and asked in a worried voice, "Doctor, what's wrong?"

The Doctor finished his repairs on the shields and stood up right when she asked her question. He pressed a few buttons on the console to confirm the shielding was at 100%. He then placed both of his hands flat on the console and let out a weary sigh. Looking up at her, he stated gravely, "Sarah, the Zohnus aren't going to let us leave."


	9. Chapter 9

_**I've decided to take this story in a different and much broader direction. Hope you all enjoy it :)**_

"Why aren't they going to let us leave, Doctor," Sarah asked worriedly.

"The Zohnus are well known for their patient and methodical methods of observation. They know my Tardis cannot dematerialize until I make the necessary repairs. That will give them ample time to get themselves purposely into a dangerous situation in which they will 'coerce' the Zohnus, I was speaking with, to 'persuade' us to help them sort out their trouble. To do that, we would have to leave the Tardis, which would give them the opportunity to observe us for however long they deem necessary. They would once again hide the Tardis within the holographic simulation room," he concluded in a voice filled with concern and annoyance.

She was about to ask what his plan was for getting them out of this mess when she was struck by another thought. The Zohnus emitting those chemicals in the air explains how strongly I was feeling toward the Doctor and I suspect how strongly he was feeling towards me. Why would the Zohnus be interested in our feelings toward each other, unless…oh no, she thought as a feeling of uneasiness made her visibly shiver at the thought of being observed so intimately by those creatures. "Doctor, the Zohnus are interested in how different species mate, is that it?"

The Doctor continued working on the controls and replied, "Yes, Sarah. Once I informed them that I'm a Time Lord from Gallifrey, it had the unfortunate effect of piquing their curiosity even more."

"How so," she asked with a confused frown.

He stopped working on the controls and gazed directly into her eyes, "Time Lords rarely mate and when we do, we form an emotional and physical bond with that Time Lord or Gallifreyan. Not all Gallifreyans are Time Lords." He stepped closer to her and took both of her hands in his own. "Sarah, first of all, if I were to make love to you, I would not allow it to be while those so called Zohnus 'researchers' were watching us. Second of all and most importantly, making love to you would mean that you would be bonded to me for the rest of your life. It would mean that you would cease to be interested romantically in any other male."

Before he could continue, she placed a finger gently on his lips, smiled lovingly, and replied, "Doctor, I plan on traveling with you for the rest of my life. I love you and I would be honored to be bonded to you."

"Oh, Sarah," was all the Doctor could softly say. He was utterly speechless that this beautiful and wonderful companion of his loved him and would want to be bonded with him for the rest of her life. He knew then and there that what he and Sarah had been experiencing wasn't manufactured by those chemicals. It was real and he knew, without a doubt, that he loved her with both of his hearts. "I love you, my Sarah Jane," he replied, as he leaned in and gently kissed her lips. She eagerly kissed him back, while running her fingers through his hair.

As he deepened the kiss, all coherent thought left her. As their tongues met and danced, she felt weak in the knees and was grateful that he had his arms wrapped around her and that she was leaning against the console. Before she knew it, he lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the console room and toward her room. Upon entering it, she quickly looked over at her night stand and was relieved to find the candles not there. Thank God this is real, she thought to herself as she remembered that dreamscape the Zohnus had her in.

He gently placed her on the bed. Clothes were shed. Hands explored. Kisses were placed. Moans of desire, raised and met, were heard. Nothing was hastily done as both were deliberately solicitous in their movements. As their bodies and souls became one, joined together in that most ancient of dances, his mind touched hers. She joyfully welcomed his presence in her mind, cementing the bond, as waves of passion overtook and crashed over them.

As they lay in bed, fully sated, she felt more content than she had ever remembered feeling in her entire life. It was as if she had found her other half, as if she was finally home. She was on her side facing him, with a hand resting on his chest. He had his eyes closed, but wasn't fully asleep yet. As she was thinking these things, he smiled warmly and said in his deeply sensual voice, "I feel exactly the same way, Sarah."

"You heard my thoughts," she asked, a bit surprised. "Will you be able to hear everything I'm thinking and will it work both ways?"

"Well, I'll only hear those thoughts that evoke strong emotions from you. I suspect that, with time, you'll be able to do the same regarding my thoughts," he replied contemplatively as he opened his eyes and turned his body side ways, facing her. His expression grew serious as he stated, "There will be times, though, when I'll need to shield my thoughts and emotions. There are certain secrets I must keep to myself." He gently touched her cheek. "Please understand that I would need to do this in order to protect you from my enemies."

She placed her hand over his hand and replied sincerely, "Yes, of course I do, Doctor. I trust you, no matter what."

"Oh Sarah, what did I ever do to deserve you," he asked rhetorically out loud as he leaned closer to kiss her again. Unlike their previous kisses, this was a kiss of affirmation. Both of them, through their bond, understood one another and trusted each other implicitly.

Once their kiss ended, the Doctor got up from the bed, with Sarah admiring the view. "There's something I need to get from my room. I'll be right back." He didn't have far to walk, as the Tardis had placed his room directly across from Sarah's.

When she had begun traveling with him, his room had been several doors down the hallway. Over time, the Tardis had placed his room closer and closer to hers. Sarah hadn't noticed, since she had rarely seen him go into his room, but the Doctor obviously had. He had had quite a few telepathic talks with the Old Girl, wondering what she was playing at by doing that. He had never been able to get a clear answer. Now, in hindsight, he realized why she had done that.

Walking into his room, he went straight for his night stand and opened the drawer. Inside was a small burgundy colored box. He carefully opened it, as it was over several centuries old. Inside it was one of his most precious treasures, a ring unlike any other, which he wanted to give to Sarah as a token of his affection and of their bond. The ring adjusted its size to the ring size of the wearer. Only the wearer and the person who gave the ring to the wearer could take the ring off of the wearer. The ring band was made of a material that looked like Earth's white gold but was far more durable. The most stunning aspect of the ring, though, was the diamond, which was a decent size, but not gaudy in the least. This diamond had been secretly given to the Doctor for his work on the Hand of Omega back during his first incarnation. The diamond had originated from a much larger diamond that could only be found on Gallifrey. That diamond was known as the White Point Star.

The Doctor walked back into Sarah's room with his hands behind his back and a sly grin on his face. "I know that look and it usually means trouble, but of a fun sort," she stated as she smiled at him and sat up in bed, letting the covers fall to expose the top half of her body.

Grinning appreciatively at the view, he sat down beside her with one hand behind his back. "Close your eyes and hold your left hand straight out towards me, palm down." She did as instructed and he gently slid the ring on the ring finger of her left hand. "Open your eyes, Sarah Jane."

As she had felt the ring being slipped on her, it was all she could do not to open her eyes at that moment. She felt the warmth of his love flowing through her and couldn't believe he had given her a ring. Thinking it must have belonged to his mother or grandmother, she expected, for some reason, a simple ring that would resemble something found on Earth. When he instructed her to open her eyes, she was amazed by the ring she saw on her finger. It seemed to glow with an inner light that left her feeling as if she was looking upon a star that had fallen from the heavens.

The Doctor chuckled to himself as he heard her thoughts about it looking like a star, but decided against telling her everything about the ring's origins for now. He'd wait to tell her everything about it once he had worked with her on helping her build her own mental shields. He told her the other qualities of the ring and knew she'd be relieved by the fact that no one else could take it from her. Some of the planets they'd been to, they'd run into people who would steal things right off of others. The Doctor was relieved at how much she loved the ring and, even though she was slightly disappointed that he couldn't share with her the history of the ring, she was excited that he would teach her how to mentally shield her mind.

Little did they know, at that moment, the Zohnus had picked up another smaller ship on their long range sensors. It took another hour until they could detect the ship on their short range sensors. As they approached the ship, they were not able to detect any life signs onboard as the ship's shields were at maximum. As the Zohnus attempted to use their tractor beam to bring the ship aboard, a massive energy wave was transferred from the smaller ship through the tractor beam to the Zohnus ship, causing damage to the entire ship and killing every Zohnus onboard.

The only thing not affected was the Tardis, which now sat in a dark room. The Tardis, sensing danger around her, telepathically alerted the Doctor. He and Sarah had been sleeping when the Zohnus ship had been damaged. As soon as the Old Girl told him what happened, he sat bolt upright in bed, his hearts racing and fear coursing through him. Through their link, Sarah immediately woke up, feeling his extreme fear. "Doctor, what's wrong?"

The Doctor got out of bed and began getting dressed. "Get dressed quickly, Sarah. The Zohnus ship has been damaged, the Zohnus are all dead, and we're in very serious danger."


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hope you all enjoy. There will be more soon :)**_

The enemy vessel, that had damaged the Zohnus ship and killed all Zohnus onboard, waited patiently nearby, its crew biding their time. They had been in search of the Doctor for years. They had come upon the Zohnus ship and, after scanning it, had detected the Tardis within. Knowing the Zohnus were useless researchers, they were taken care of swiftly and with ease. Now, nothing stood in the way of their mission. The Doctor had destroyed their way of life and he would pay. The crew had seen, firsthand, what The Oncoming Storm was capable of. They knew that their only way of succeeding in their mission was to have something more powerful than the Doctor on their side. Luckily for them, they found a fragment of one such being. It was thought that this entire being had been destroyed, but the rumors were wrong. For one lone fragment of the being had survived and through the destruction that fragment would wreak, the crew would have their vengeance.

The Doctor and Sarah raced to the console room and once they arrived, the Doctor immediately began working on the repairs at a more feverish pace than she had ever seen. She could feel his fear as something palpable and couldn't recall him ever being this afraid, except for that one time. Oh God, no, not again, Sarah thought to herself as she began to slightly tremble at the mere thought of it. As she gripped the edge of the console, on the other side of where the Doctor was working, she asked with a quivering voice, "Doctor, what aren't you telling me?"

The Doctor momentarily stopped working, took his head out of the base of the console, stood up with his hands pressed palms down on the console, looked up at her, and stated, "The vessel that attacked and killed all the Zohnus are manned by a vile, warrior race called the Tunglia. I ran across them a few centuries back and there were certain things I had to do to save this other race of beings, a peaceful race, from the Tunglia. They are out for revenge and will stop at nothing until they have destroyed me and the Tardis. Despite all of this, they are not what concern me the most."

The Doctor looked down momentarily and took a deep breath to attempt to calm his nerves. When he looked back up at her, she could see his underlying fear and concern, but it was mostly masked by a look of grim determination. "The Tunglia have something in that vessel with them, a fragment of a being with enormous power. I sensed that power as soon as the Tardis informed me of the attack."

Knowing the answer, but needing to hear it anyways, Sarah asked, "Is this powerful being who I think it is?"

The Doctor nodded solemnly, as he heard her thoughts, and replied, "Yes, Sarah. Somehow, some way, a part of him has survived and returned for me." The Doctor walked over to Sarah and gently held her left hand, the light of the central column illuminating her ring. "I wish I could tell you more about this ring, but I haven't the time to teach you to mentally shield your thoughts from others. Therefore, I will need to do something you won't like. I'm sorry, Sarah." Before she could react, she felt his fingers on her temples and then she lost consciousness. The Doctor caught her before she fell to the floor and carried her to her room. After placing her gently on the bed, he took the ring off of her and began to place it on the ring finger of his left hand. It immediately changed size and shape to accommodate him.

He walked back to the console room, closed the base of the console. The main repairs have been complete, he thought to himself. The secondary repairs can wait until I return. He checked one final time to make sure the shield strength was still at maximum. Satisfied, he patted the console and said, "Watch over Sarah, Old Girl, until my return. If she wakes up before I return, do not let her leave." At the Old Girl's mental acceptance of the order, the Doctor put on his coat and hat, opened the outer doors of the Tardis, and stepped into the darkness of the Zohnus ship.

He knew that once he was outside the safety of the Tardis, the Tunglia would be able to pick up on his signal and transport him to their vessel. He was counting on that. He knew they didn't have the ability to transport such a powerful ship as the Tardis onto their vessel. Therefore, the Tardis was the safest place for Sarah. He knew he had made the right choice in leaving her out of this. There were certain things that only a Timelord could take care of. He had already given the Tunglia one chance centuries ago. They had not learned from their mistake and he would have to do what was needed to ensure they never followed after him again. As for my other problem, he thought as he allowed The Oncoming Storm to tap into the sheer, raw power of the White Point Star diamond of the ring, you don't stand a chance, Sutekh. A moment later, he was transported to the Tunglia ship.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Here's the next installment. More to come :)**_

No mercy was shown once the Doctor was transported over to the Tunglia vessel. On sight, he was shot multiple times by their phaser rifles. As he lay there temporarily unconscious, an ancient urn, decorated with an impossibly ancient language, was brought forth. The Doctor was placed in a dimly lit room on the vessel with no viewports and only one door. The urn was placed at the other end of the room. Quickly, the Tunglia exited the room. They waited outside the door for the screams of agony they knew would inevitably come.

The Doctor slowly awoke to find himself facing the urn. As he sat up, the urn's lid began to open of its own accord. Standing up and shaking off the headache caused by the phaser rifles, he quickly accessed that dark part of his being, The Oncoming Storm, and aimed the glowing White Point Star diamond ring towards the urn. As he saw a tendril of energy slowly emanate forth, the ring produced a white hot beam towards the urn holding the last fragment of Sutekh's power and obliterated the tendril of energy from existence. The urn, though, imploded in on itself and vanished. Feeling concerned that the urn simply didn't explode, but not having the time to ponder why he felt that way, the Doctor then turned his attention towards the Tunglia.

After using the sonic screwdriver to open the door, he walked throughout the rest of their vessel, but there was no one to be seen. He then heard the sound of another ship, ran to one of the viewports, and saw a shuttle leave their landing bay. Feeling that all of this was far too easy, and not being able to shake the thought that there was something more going on than he was aware of, he used their transporter to beam back to the Zohnus ship. He made his way to the room where the Tardis was located, opened the door, walked inside to the console room, shut the door firmly, set the coordinates to drift in the vortex, and only then allowed himself to sigh in relief. There was still that niggling thought in the back of his mind that he was missing something, some clue as to why it seemed too easy to defeat that last fragment of Sutekh and why the Tunglia gave up so easily and fled.

Deciding to think about it later, he went to Sarah's room where he found her sleeping peacefully. Time to place this ring back on its proper owner, he thought fondly as he took the ring off his hand and placed it gently back on her left hand. As soon as its size and shape went back to the form it originally had on her hand, it glowed mauve for not even a second before it went back to its original white glow. How odd, he thought to himself in concern. Why would it glow the universal color of distress? He looked at Sarah's face and his question was instantly answered. She was having a bad dream. He placed his fingers on her temples and soothed her thoughts. She instantly calmed down and had a peaceful look on her face again. I didn't think the ring did that when the wearer had a bad dream, he pondered to himself as he got up to go make some tea. Well, it is possible I don't know every little quirk about the ring, though I could've sworn I knew everything it was capable of. Well, it has been a while since I was informed about all of the ring's properties and powers, at least since my first incarnation. Shaking his head, he continued walking towards the kitchen.

After the tea was made, he sat down at the kitchen table, the warm cup in his hands. As he was about to take a sip, he noticed something on the far side of the room that hadn't been there before. It was all he could do to sit the cup down with his shaking hands. No, it can't be here! How did it get in, Old Girl? No reply came from the Tardis. It was as if the mental connection had been muted somehow. His hearts racing in his chest, he gazed upon the ancient urn that he thought had vanished from existence.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hope you all enjoy! More to come soon :)**_

Sarah woke up with a start, out of breath with her heart pounding. The details of her nightmare were fading, but she couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding and fear that seemed like a solid object right there in her room. She turned on her lamp by her bed and wearily looked around. Nothing seemed odd and everything was in its' proper place. She decided a cup of soothing herbal tea was in order and made her way towards the kitchen.

As soon as she approached the kitchen entrance, what she saw rooted her to the spot in shock and horror. From her vantage point, she witnessed the Doctor standing by the table in terror as he watched a tendril of energy weave its way out of an urn sitting on the floor. The urn was an off-white color with black markings on it with some type of language that the Tardis wouldn't or couldn't translate for her. The energy tendril pulsated red, orange, and yellow and seemed to slither like a snake in mid-air. All of a sudden, it started to move towards her. She looked to the Doctor for help, but he seemed to be in some sort of trance while watching the tendril of energy pulsate. Not knowing what else to do, she held her hands up in a futile effort to ward it away from her face.

That's when she noticed something that ignited a flame of hope within her. For her ring was glowing, as if powering up for some sort of energy discharge. All of a sudden she got the crazy idea that if she aimed the ring at the urn, instead of the energy tendril, then that would do the trick. As she put her plan into action, she was surprised at the amount of energy she could feel flowing from the ring towards the urn. The lettering on the urn immediately glowed bright red, then melted, turning the urn a burgundy color. The tendril of energy stopped pulsating and turned into wisps of gray smoke, which instantly vanished into nothingness. Immediately thereafter, the energy from her ring dissipated and stopped glowing. She looked over at the Doctor and was relieved when he blinked a few times and took a couple of deep breaths, as if he hadn't been able to breathe while all of this was going on.

The Doctor suddenly looked over at Sarah, looked at the changed urn, noticed the tendril of energy had vanished, and then looked back at Sarah with a wide grin on his face. "My Sarah Jane, you did it!"

Breathing a sigh of relief that things were back to normal, she replied, in a tone that meant she better get some answers soon, "Doctor, you've got a lot of explaining to do about how that urn looking thing and energy thing got on board to begin with, even though the Old Girl's shields are up. Also, just what in the world is this ring made out of?"

As the Doctor walked over towards the urn, he replied, "You know I can't tell you everything about the ring at this time. Besides, we have yet another mystery to solve in as many days. While you were sleeping, I transported over to the Tunglia ship, where I was forced into a confrontation with the container holding a fragment of Sutekh's energy, this urn that had the ancient language written on it. That's another thing, Sarah. I should have been able to translate that language. I know I've seen it before from somewhere. While Sutekh's energy was here, it somehow drained the Old Girl's power to the point where she temporarily lost her telepathic connection to me. If you hadn't come along when you did, I wouldn't have been able to attempt to destroy this damnable urn, yet again," he stated in frustration as he knelt next to it, studying it for any sign of the energy tendril reappearing . "I was too shocked by the appearance of the urn to even leave this room in order to retrieve the ring from you. Therefore, I lost my opportunity. That energy tendril's pulsating effect had me in a state of utter hypnosis and helplessness. It's effects have become stronger since the first time I attempted to destroy it." As he stood up and backed away from the urn, turning to look Sarah in the eyes, he stated, "I must get to the bottom of this, and fast before we receive another visit from that dreaded abomination." His eyes filled with grim determination, he left the kitchen for the console room, where he immediately began running system diagnostics and began working on the secondary repairs.

Sarah followed him into the console room, not wanting to be anywhere near that dreaded urn. She wondered if the Doctor planned on leaving that thing in the kitchen. She was about to ask him, but she decided not to for the time being. She knew that now was not the time to be thinking of such things as how they would cook and eat in the kitchen with that thing just sitting there. She decided to ask instead, "Do you really believe that energy tendril will reappear out of the urn, even after the damage the ring just inflicted on it again? If this ring is so powerful, then why can't it wipe that dreaded urn and energy tendril out of existence for good?"

He momentarily stopped working on his repairs and looked up at her. His eyes appeared ancient, filled with so much fear and worry, as he replied, "I usually have all of the answers, or I figure out the answers given sufficient time. In this case, I don't have any answers and there's no way of knowing how much time we'll have before Sutekh's energy reappears. The power contained within the ring should have been enough to fully destroy the urn and that energy tendril. That it wasn't enough makes me feel even more frightened than that first time I met Sutekh."

He paused a moment and looked down at the console, deep in thought for a few moments as if mentally debating something. When he gazed again into Sarah's eyes, she knew he had reached some sort of a decision and it would be one that neither of them would be happy about. "Sarah, I need help on this one and who better than the race of beings that originally defeated Sutekh by trapping him for thousands of years."

Sarah, surprised he would even suggest what she thought he was suggesting, asked, "Do you mean Horace and the other Osirans?"

The Doctor nodded his head and replied, "Yes, Sarah. We're returning to the Pyramids of Mars."


	13. Chapter 13

_**Here's the next installment. I didn't do any research about ancient Egypt or Horace. I just winged it. If anything is incorrect, just think of this story as being in an alt. universe. Hope you all enjoy! :)**_

It had been nearly two hours since the Doctor had left the Tardis and walked into the Pyramids of Mars. Before he had left, he had gently cupped her face with both hands, looked directly into her eyes, and stated in a voice that seemed to her both deeper and huskier than she'd ever heard, "Please don't leave the Tardis, Sarah. If anything were to happen to you by the hands of the Osirans, I don't know what I would do to them, or if I would be able to stop myself once I'd begin." Lost in his intense gaze, all she could do was nod her head slowly in confirmation that she understood. He leaned in and kissed her lips. It wasn't just a kiss to confirm his love and passion. No, it was much more than that. It was as if the bond that already existed between them was sealed and announced to the universe that if anybody or anything were to separate them, then woe betide the fool who would dare intervene. At the same time, Sarah's ring glowed a blinding white for an instant, then slowly faded to its usual brilliance.

Sarah touched her lips absently as she thought back to that moment. After he had finished kissing her, he had opened the Tardis doors, picked up the burgundy colored urn that he had previously retrieved from the kitchen, and left without a backward glance. She had tried to pass the time by reading in the library, but she couldn't focus on any of her favorite stories. She had even swam a few laps and showered, but still itched to find out what was taking so long. Now with the two hour mark fast approaching, her fingers hovered over the control that would open the outer doors.

As soon as the Doctor had exited the Tardis, he marveled at the sight that beheld him. For the Tardis had materialized them in the Grand Pyramid, the Temple of Horace. The walls and floor were made of solid gold, with a multitude of ornate gemstones lining the hieroglyphic walls at specific intervals. The ceiling of the expansive pyramidal room was at least five stories high. The upper most point of the ceiling, the apex, gave a holographic view of a bright blue sky and sunlight. Lining the back walls were human looking guards, dressed in silver armor, armed with swords sheathed at their waists and holding sharp pointed staffs at least five feet tall. The guards did not approach the Doctor like he suspected they would. They each bowed their heads in reverence.

Surprised to say the least, the Doctor walked around the back of his Tardis, which was facing the front of the room. He was greeted by the sight of Horace himself standing on the raised dais, dressed ornately with a solid gold mask in a design similar to an owl's face. His robe was lined with cat's eye and lapis lazuli gemstones. As the Doctor approached him, Horace greeted him by holding his hands out, palms facing towards the ceiling. "I am not surprised to see you again…is it "Doctor" now? When we last met, you were joined by two of your fellow Timelords, Rassilon and Omega. I always wondered why you had gone by the name of "The Other". But that is a discussion for another time. For I see and sense that you have something you wish for us to help you destroy." Horace's mask moved slightly lower, in the direction of the urn the Doctor was holding.

The Doctor nodded at Horace, his eyes showing appreciation for Horace's hospitality and willingness to help so far. Deep down, the Doctor still didn't trust Horace and would likely never trust him. He admired Horace and the other Osirans for their skills and for helping the ancient Egyptians of Earth. But he knew, as all Timelords knew, that the Osirans would turn on a supposed ally in an instant if it was beneficial to do so. The meeting all those centuries ago that the Doctor, or "The Other" as he was known, participated in along with Rassilon and Omega, had helped form an alliance with the Osirans, albeit an uneasy one. This meeting was wiped permanently from Gallifrey's Matrix. No other Timelords knew of it, which was for their own protection. For only the three chosen Timelords (Rassilon, Omega, and The Other) were responsible for creating the Hand of Omega, the Silver Nemesis, and the White Point Star. The Osirans had been helpful in obtaining a few of the secondary materials needed for these three powerful objects, but the Osirans were never told what the materials were really being used for. The three Timelords had informed the Osirans that the materials would be used to help secure the Matrix. The Osirans had bought that explanation hook, line, and sinker.

The Doctor, who had kept his mental shielding in place as soon as he had opened the Tardis doors, walked a few steps towards Horace and placed the urn on the ground. "You and the other Osirans are the only beings in the universe that I know of who have the capability to contain Sutekh's power. You know what was and most certainly still is within this urn?"

Horace, without needing to open the urn, stated while studying it, "Yes, Doctor. This remnant of Sutekh's energy had somehow escaped in our last great battle against him. We shall see to it that this remnant is contained permanently."

"I thank you and the other Osirans, Horace," the Doctor replied. He couldn't help the touch of relief that seeped through in his voice, though. Horace immediately picked up on it and gazed at the Doctor with a curious tilt to his head.

"Doctor, I sense there is another reason for your relief, a reason closer to your hearts," Horace stated with curiosity.

Smiling and shrugging his shoulders, the Doctor replied, with a casual air, "Well, Horace, I am relieved for the human race. You know they are quite indeed my favorite species." The Doctor then turned around and walked, at what he hoped was a normal pace, back to the Tardis.

As he was within reach of the doors, tardis key in hand, Horace's next questions made him pause in fear, his hearts hammering in his chest. "Doctor, who is she and why did you attempt to hide her from me?"


	14. Chapter 14

_**Here it is, the final chapter. I'm sorry this story took so long to write and post, but I hope this final chapter will have been worth the wait. There will be a sequel, though I'm not sure when. Thanks to everyone who has favorited and commented on this story :)**_

The Doctor pocketed his key, walked away from the Tardis, and took a few steps toward Horace. With his hands in his pockets, he asked in a conversational tone, "Why, whatever do you mean 'hide'?" His eyes, though, held an icy edge to their depths, as if in warning that Horace best not overstep his bounds. Even the guards felt a bit uneasy, as if they had just found themselves in the eye of a storm.

Horace, in turn, took a few steps towards the Doctor, and stated, "You know very well what I mean, old friend. You never travel alone. Therefore, you have someone in your ship. Let me guess, is it a female from Earth?" The Doctor's expression didn't change, yet Horace could tell by his eyes that he had struck a nerve. "Now, why would you not introduce her to me? She would have nothing to fear from me or the rest of my kind, since she is your companion. The only logical reason you could have for not introducing her to me is that she has something of great importance that you want to keep secret from me. This item wouldn't happen to have anything to do with those materials I had helped you and the other Time Lords acquire, would it?" Horace's voice, though conversational, held a touch of barely concealed anger.

The Doctor gave a small smile, looked Horace in the eyes, and replied in a deadly calm voice, "You always were the most intelligent of your species, Horace, but even you couldn't have deduced all of that. No, you knew even before I arrived here." The Doctor glanced at the urn that Horace had sat on the dais. "That energy tendril contained within the urn isn't really a remnant of Sutekh's energy, is it? It's yours and it was created for two specific purposes: to spy on me, and to coerce me into arriving here, but for what purpose?"

Just as Horace was about to explain, the Doctor heard the Tardis door open and shut. The Doctor briefly tilted his head down, closed his eyes, and thought, "Oh Sarah, you've just put us in so much danger now." He opened his eyes, turned around toward where Sarah was walking from the Tardis, walked up to her quickly, took her hand in his (noticing the ring still on her ring finger of her left hand), and whispered in her ear, "Do not speak unless spoken to and follow my lead." The Doctor then turned around toward Horace, put on his best diplomatic smile, and stated, "Horace, I'd like you to meet my companion, Sarah Jane Smith."

The Doctor put his arm around her shoulder, keeping her close as they walked to within a comfortable distance of Horace. She knew he was angry that she had left the Tardis, but it had been two hours for her while in the Tardis. She recalled that the interior of his ship existed outside normal time, so she wasn't sure how long it had really been for the Doctor.

Horace extended his hand out to Sarah and replied, "It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear." As Sarah's hand touched his, though, he pulled her roughly away from the Doctor and grasped her left hand, staring at her ring. "I thought so! This ring contains the materials I had given you and the other Time Lords! You promised the materials were only to be used for Gallifrey's matrix! You betrayed us, Doctor!" Horace yelled in outrage as Sarah gasped in pain at how roughly he had grabbed her and was still painfully holding onto her hand. As the ring began to glow a blinding white, he asked in morbid curiosity as he couldn't tear his eyes away from it, "Just what else is contained within this ring?"

Before the Doctor could even try to get Sarah out of Horace's iron like grip, the ring pulsed rapidly with building energy, along with a loud thrumming of power that began to shake the very foundation of the temple. The Doctor was just able to make out the sounds of screaming as the guards ran out of the temple in terror. Out of a hidden side door, the Doctor noticed the rest of the Osirans unsteadily enter, their golden masks hiding the fear he knew they must be feeling. Never before had these demi-god like beings felt such power and energy come from something other than themselves. The energy from the ring, the Doctor knew, dwarfed all of their power combined. "Horace, let Sarah go!"

"No, Doctor! You betrayed us! It's only fitting that you lose something of value to you," Horace bellowed in outrage as he held onto Sarah's hand even tighter. As she screamed in pain, the Doctor, whose eyes held the fury of the Oncoming Storm, stared straight at Horace. The loud thrumming ceased even though the ring continued to pulsate its blinding white light. In a deadly calm voice, the Doctor said, "If you do not release Sarah and if you or any of the other Osirans attempt to prevent us from leaving, then you leave me no choice. Your race are too deadly and powerful to be kept alive."

Understanding dawned within Horace. He and the other Osirans had been taken for fools and then set up to be destroyed. This had been ordained from the beginning, whether by the Other, Rassilon, Omega, or all three of them, was of little importance now. Horace knew he should let go of the Other's companion and let them leave, but he was too stubborn and proud to surrender. He looked over briefly at the other Osirans, who were either too afraid or too intelligent to intervene. They are all cowards, Horace thought to himself in disgust, except Sutekh. Perhaps we shouldn't have imprisoned Sutekh after all, but the Other was so persuasive about that. As Horace stared into the eyes of the Other, he saw the truth. The name of Doctor was a disguise. Even the name of the Other was a facade. The true name was the Oncoming Storm, a name whispered in fear and awe across the universe by multitudes of species.

Still, something in Horace prevented him from letting go of Sarah's hand. He looked at her, noticing pain etched across her features from how tightly he was holding her hand. Even though she was afraid, he detected such strength and courage within her being. He noticed she was steadfastly not looking in the Doctor's direction. Does she fear him when he unmasks his true self, Horace wondered to himself. How can she stay with such a creature? She is a fool also and does not deserve my mercy, Horace thought to himself. This thought, he knew, would seal his own fate. So be it. The Other will be punished in the end. That was Horace's last thought as the white hot energy from the ring struck him, causing him to release his hold on Sarah and to stumble backwards.

In that instant, the ring dimmed and the thrumming of power ceased. The Doctor grabbed Sarah and they ran to the Tardis. Unlocking the door, he turned to Sarah and said, "I need your ring." Obediently, she took off the ring and placed it in the Doctor's hand without looking into his eyes. He noticed how she was avoiding him. He tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. By that time, the Oncoming Storm had momentarily abated. All she saw was the striking blue of them, which showed only love and concern for her. She was able to give him a small smile through the pain she felt in her hand and said, "I'll be okay, Doctor. Go do what you have to do."

"Thank you, Sarah. Close the door. I'll be back soon," he replied as he gently touched her cheek. She nodded her head in the affirmative and shut the door.

The Doctor turned around, put the ring on (it stretching its size to fit his finger), and faced Horace with all the rage of the Oncoming Storm. He saw Horace on his knees, doubled over in pain and shaking with fear. Horace had been correct. Centuries ago, Rassilon, Omega, and himself (known then as the Other) had used the Osirans. Rassilon and Omega, though, were the ones who had wanted to destroy the Osirans, claiming they were too dangerous to be kept alive. The Other had disagreed and stated that he would keep an eye on the Osirans. For centuries after, the Doctor hadn't heard of the Osirans doing anything remotely dangerous to any other life forms. Then Sutekh had happened. He thought he had handled the problem at that time. Most recently, with the urn containing the energy ribbon, he had wanted to believe it was a remnant of Sutekh, but deep down he had his doubts that the Osirans would've been careless enough to have let a remnant of Sutekh's energy escape. That could only mean that Horace was behind it. He had thought that Horace would not have been incapable of such a thing, but Horace couldn't let the past go. He had to know what those materials were used for. He had to spy on the Doctor. Horace had put the Doctor's life and Sarah's life in danger and had caused her serious pain. He had given Horace a chance, but Horace had shoved it back in his face. Horace and the other Osirans must never know about the White Point Star, the Silver Nemesis, or the Hand of Omega. Therefore, the Oncoming Storm had to do what needed to be done.

Horace screamed in agony as the ring, containing a piece of The White Point Star, seared white hot energy throughout his entire body, turning it to dust. The ring's energy then focused on all of the other Osirans, leaving them with the same fate as Horace. With the Temple of Horace crumbling around him, the Doctor made it to the Tardis. Within seconds, the Tardis dematerialized just as the apex of the pyramidal temple fell where the Tardis had been.

Sarah was waiting for the Doctor in the infirmary. As he walked into the room, she ran into his arms, hugging him tightly. He, in turn, enveloped her within his arms and finally allowed himself to relax, breathing in her scent of lavender and vanilla. He had set the controls so they were safely away from Mars and drifting in the vortex. He let go of her and inspected her hand. She had been able to use one of his medical devices to heal her severely bruised hand. Luckily no bones had been broken.

As they both sat on the med bed, she slowly ran her other hand through his hair, brushing out small pieces of dust. "I'm sorry that I left the Tardis. I should've waited for you," she said apologetically as she looked at his face.

He looked up from inspecting her hand and gave her a small smile. "It's alright, Sarah. I should know by now that you don't like being left behind in the Tardis, even when it's for your own protection."

Sarah gave her own small smile in return. Then, her expression serious, she asked, "Doctor, what did you do to Horace and the other Osirans?"

The Doctor gently let go of her hand and stood up, walking a couple of steps away from the med bed, his back to her. "Remember what I told you when I gave you that ring, Sarah? There are some things that I cannot tell you. There are things in my past that you must never know, not just for your own protection, but for the protection of Gallifrey as well," he stated somberly, his voice sounding his true age, not just the age he appeared to be. He turned around and, looking into the distance, said as if it was an axiom that could explain everything simply, "I walk in eternity."

Sarah got up from the bed and stepped up next to him, turning him to face her. "You may walk in eternity, but for this period of time, however long I have with you, I'll be walking right beside you."

"My Sarah Jane," he replied softly as he gazed into her eyes with awe and admiration for this wonderful human woman who loved him and trusted him body and soul. Touching her cheek gently, he leaned down and kissed her lips. As they wrapped their arms around each other, he deepened the kiss, able to forget, at least for a short time, who he had been and who he still was. He still had the ring in his pocket. He thought about giving it back to Sarah, but decided against it for the time being. She now had an idea of the immense power of the ring and he wasn't sure she'd be comfortable wearing something like that.

She noticed he wasn't in the moment and stopped kissing him. She gazed into his troubled and distant expression. "Doctor, what is it?" she asked with concern.

He took the ring out of his pocket and let the light reflect off it. As he stared at the ring, he replied, "Sarah, would you still feel comfortable wearing this ring?"

She looked down at the ring in the palm of his hand. Even though she knew it was extremely powerful, she also associated it with feelings of love and safety. He had given her this ring out of love, as a symbol of their binding. She also felt safe wearing this ring because she knew it could protect her if she was in danger. She had no illusions about the kind of man the Doctor could become when faced with enemies who would not back down. She also knew the kind of man the Doctor was with her, how he would love her for the rest of his lives and protect her with every ounce of his being. Taking the ring gently from his hand, she slipped it on her ring finger of her left hand. She gazed into his eyes and replied resolutely, "I'm comfortable wearing this ring. Now, how about teaching me how to mentally shield my mind?"

"Sarah Jane, you never cease to amaze me," he replied with a wide grin as he lifted her off the floor and swept her up in a hug. Laughing, she hugged him tightly, reveling in the feel of his arms around her and knowing she'd never tire of it. As their hug ended and he set her feet back on the ground, he said, "Well, we've had a very long day. You should get some rest first before we begin."

"Alright, but only if you join me. I sleep better in your arms," she said as she held both of his hands.

"I'll join you soon. I just need to check on a few things with the Old Girl," he replied warmly as he bent down to kiss her goodnight. After their kiss ended and she went back into her room, he walked into the console room. He leaned his hands against the console and bent his head, breathing deeply. "Dear Rassilon, what have I done," he murmured to himself in regret. He knew he didn't have a choice, that he had to destroy all of the Osirans. It still didn't lessen his regret at the destruction of an entire species. He hadn't let himself regret his actions till this very moment. He couldn't let Sarah see his regret and the inner doubt he had of the rightness of his actions. He knew that she must have some idea that he had destroyed them, but she didn't judge him for it, nor look at him any differently because of it. She loved him for who he was when he was with her and loved him even when he had to become the Oncoming Storm. Still, he always felt this way after having to do something like this. That's why he changed his name from The Other to The Doctor all those centuries ago. He liked the persona that the Doctor elicited, of a person who fixed people and things for the better. He knew, though, that he could never fully outrun his past. Sooner or later, what he did as The Other would come back to haunt him. He only hoped to Rassilon that Sarah wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.

_**Fin (There will be a sequel.)**_


End file.
